Yoga Is A practice, Not A Sport

In college, I took a Yoga/Thai Chi class to fulfill my PE requirement. The instructor was actually a Thai Chi master so his yoga background was limited, but I liked my introduction to yoga and took yoga classes at a nearby studio a few years later. While I enjoyed the classes, I wasn't ready to make the commitment to fit yoga regularly in my schedule and stopped. 

Fast forward many years, a friend reintroduced me to yoga, and I found a great instructor in Greensboro and practiced weekly with her for about three years. During this time, I fell in love with yoga and loved my practice. When the instructor left that location, I decided it was time to explore various studios and instructors in town because I knew I wanted to practice more frequently. After attending a few different classes at different places, I came across a special for one month of unlimited hot yoga classes. I figured that I could do anything for one month. 

My first hot yoga class, taught by Rebecca (Jordan-Turner), was quite an experience! By the time 90 minutes were finally over, I thought that was probably my first and last class - what an expensive class that would've been. Thankfully though, I went back (I'm not even sure why!) and ended up taking 10 classes in the month. 

A few weeks into my hot yoga practice, I heard something in the dialogue that struck me. The instructor said that this one pose could help with carpal tunnel and prevent or cure other wrist injuries. Hmmm… For years I'd had wrist pain from cartilage damage, but hadn't noticed it in a while. I thought, “Maybe this pose is helping, and I didn’t even realize it.” 

After my one month was over I realized that I had missed my last chiropractor appointment and had just forgotten to reschedule it.  Over two months had gone by since my last appointment.  In the past, that lapse would usually have meant regular headaches would start back up which I would need to rely on pain medicine for relief. Instead of rescheduling that appointment, I kept going to yoga.

In the beginning of my hot yoga practice, my mind wouldn’t quiet down during class. I was constantly thinking which makes the practice even harder.  Now, my mind is much quieter I find once I’m on my mat.  My mind still drifts, but I know that all I have to do is focus on the present moment and the pose I’m asking it to do right now, and it calms down.  Unfortunately, all the stresses outside the yoga room still exist, but for those minutes on my mat they disappear.   

I love that yoga is a practice and not a sport.  I love that I’m encouraged to work with the body I walked in with that day because every class is different which depends so much on what else is going on in my life. Some poses are easier than others every class while others feel good in one class and not so much in another. Rather than getting frustrated with myself, I try to evaluate why that might be.  This happening has definitely made me appreciate what I'm capable of doing in the postures - and even more so what I'm not capable of doing another day - and spurs an ongoing discussion of keeping my ego out of my practice countered by giving everything I've got to a posture. I’m humbled when I cannot do something today that I did yesterday.  

When I’m running and logging more miles week after week, I find that my muscles tighten up and coming to my mat helps stretch out those muscles that have been overworked.  I find that focusing on my breath and strengthening my muscles during hot yoga helps my running. In yoga, I've learned to balance being kind and accepting of my body’s limitations while simultaneously giving everything I have to each posture.  

My son is nine now. He and I have practiced yoga off and on at home since he was very young. He’s taken a few classes geared towards children and families. I love watching him experience new things and see him enjoying yoga.

When work or vacation takes me out of town, I try to find a yoga studio and take a class. It’s always so much fun to practice in a new environment with a new instructor. Those classes are often very challenging and exciting because I don’t know the series or the rhythm of the instructor’s class.  I always pick up something from those classes, a phrase or a different approach to a posture and now have yoga memories from different cities, but RHY is my yoga home.

This is Christine O'Brien's yoga story.

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